Brothel owner and Nevada state legislature candidate Dennis Hof has passed away at the age of 72. Hof was best known for appearing on Cathouse, the HBO after-hours series about his businesses. While the series focused primarily on the women working in his six legal brothels, all of which are in and around Las Vegas, Hof was a constant presence on the show. According to Las Vegas authorities, the businessman was found dead at the Love Ranch, one of his properties, in Crystal, Nevada. The Nye County Sheriff’s Office is currently investigating the cause of Hof’s death.

Hof’s business ventures brought him a moderate amount of fame, and this year, he translated that attention into a political campaign. At the time of his death, the Cathouse star was running for a seat in the Nevada state Assembly, and after beating a Republican incumbent in the primary, he was expected to win the heavily-GOP district. “I’m stunned. This is not the turn I would’ve expected,” Lesia Romanov, Hof’s Democratic challenger for the District 36 seat, said through tears. “My heart goes out to those who care about him.” Politico reports that it “is not immediately clear” how the state of Nevada will handle the election now that Hof has died, as ballots have already been printed for the upcoming election.

While HBO has pulled Cathouse and other late-night offerings from the service, those looking to revisit Hof’s work on the series can purchase a DVD of Seasons 1 and 2 on Amazon.